Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2011

The Rock and Roll of Fame 26th annual ceremony will take place on Monday, March 14 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Here are some of this year's inductees:

Alice Cooper Band

Born Vincent Furnier, Cooper and his mighty band of the same name - lead guitarist Michael Brucee, bass player Dennis Dunaway and drummer Neal Smith - pioneered the dark spectacle of heavy metal with their huge blues-rock sound and extravagant stage show. Alice Cooper was the starting point for the glam rock of the 1970s. The band influenced such bands as Sex Pistols and Guns n' Roses.

Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond started his career in 1962 when he was offered $50 a week to write songs at the Brill Building. His songs "I'm a Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" were sung by the Monkees in 1966. He rocked the Hot 100 in 1966 with "Solitary Man" and "Cherry, Cherry" folllowed in 1967 by "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," "Thank the Lord for the Night Time" and "Kentucky Woman." He has had more that 70 U.S. chart entries to date, including "Sweet Caroline," "Holly Holy" and "Cracklin' Rosie."

Dr. John

New Orleans' own Dr. John has been recording for more than 50 years. Born Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, he learned piano and guitar as a child. He states, "New Orleans music is part of whatever I'm about. The importance of it is beyond anything I do." In 1965, Rebennack created the Dr. John the Night Tripper character, a tribute to New Orleans' musical and spiritual traditions that meshed perfectly with psychedelia.

Darlene Love

Darlene Love was a high-school sophomore in California when she joined the popular girl group the Blossoms as their first lead singer in 1958. With "He's a Rebel" and "He's Sure the Boy I Love," she turned into a familiar voice on radio and records. Darlene's own 1964 hits - "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry," "Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home," "A Fine Fine Boy," "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" - made her a household name. She starred in the Broadway "jukebox" musical Leader of the Pack. U2 later invited her to sing on their 1987 remake of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)."

Tom Waits

Beginning with his first album in 1973, Tom Waits has a unique place in rock and roll. His music mixes Chicago blues, parlor ballads, beat poetry, pulp-fiction parlance and heart-breaking tenderness. His live shows combine elements of German cabaret, vaudeville and roadhouse rock. Waits has also composed film scores, musical theatre and an operetta. He has recorded with the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, the Replacements and roy Orbison. Many of his songs have been recorded by other artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Tim Buckley, Johnny Cash, Bob Seger, T-Bone Burnett, Tori Amos, Steve Earle, Elvis Costello and Rod Stewart.